Last Updated: December 2024
Welcome to our comprehensive breakdown of Buffer pricing—a renowned social media management tool that has garnered immense popularity among businesses and individuals alike.
In this in-depth analysis, we will delve into Buffer’s pricing structure, explore its impressive array of features, and take a close look at what users have to say about this exceptional platform.
Whether you’re a seasoned social media marketer or a business owner, join us as we uncover the ins and outs of Buffer to help you make informed decisions for your online presence.
What is Buffer?
Buffer is a social media management platform that helps you schedule, publish, and analyze posts across various social media channels like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
It allows you to manage multiple accounts from a single dashboard, making it easier to maintain a consistent and organized online presence. With Buffer, you can save time and effort by planning your content in advance, tracking performance through analytics, and engaging with your audience more effectively on different social media platforms.
Overview of Buffer pricing plans
Buffer offers four plans to cater to diverse social media needs.
The Free plan is perfect if you’re just starting out or have a small business while the Essentials plan is suitable for professionals who need advanced features. If you’re part of a team that collaborates on social media management, the Team plan is designed for you.
Lastly, they have the Agency plan which is designed for marketing agencies with specific needs
Plan | Price (per month) | Channels | Features |
Free | $0 | Upto 3 | Planning and publishing tools, landing page builder, AI assistant. |
Essentials | $6 | 1 | Engagement tools, analytic reports |
Team | $12 | 1 | Unlimited team members and clients, draft collaboration tools |
Agency | $120 | 10 | Custom access and permissions, agency-friendly pricing |
A detailed breakdown of Buffer pricing plans
1) Free plan
The Free plan includes planning & publishing tools, a landing page builder, and an AI Assistant (Beta), allowing you to connect up to 3 channels.
- Buffer AI assistant credits: 50 AI Credits (Beta)
- Channels supported: Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Mastodon, New, YouTube, Google, Pinterest, Start Page
- Scheduling posts: Up to 30
- Included users: 1
- Invite additional users: Unlimited
2) Essentials plan
The monthly price is $6 per channel, starting with 1 channel, and you can add additional channels for $6/month each. It encompasses all the features from the Free plan while providing engagement tools and analytics features.
- Buffer AI assistant credits: 150 AI Credits (+150 for each additional channel connected)
- Channels supported: Same as the Free Plan
- Scheduling Posts: Unlimited
- Included users: 1
- Invite additional users: Unlimited
3) Team Plan
The monthly price for this plan is $12 per channel, and you can start with 1 channel, with the option to add additional channels for $12 each. The plan includes all the features from the Essentials Plan.
It also has the benefit of having unlimited team members and clients, along with useful draft collaboration tools.
- Buffer AI assistant credits: 300 AI Credits (+300 for each additional channel connected)
- Channels supported: Same as the Free Plan
- Scheduling posts: Unlimited
- Included users: Unlimited
- Invite additional users: Unlimited
4) Agency Plan
The monthly price for this plan is $120 for 10 channels, and you can include more channels by adding them for just $6 per month each. The plan starts with 10 channels and builds on the features of the Team Plan.
Additionally, it offers custom access and permissions, specifically designed to cater to agencies, and comes with agency-friendly pricing options.
- Buffer AI assistant credits: 3000 AI Credits (+300 for each additional channel connected)
- Channels supported: Same as the Free Plan
- Scheduling posts: Unlimited
- Included users: Unlimited
- Invite additional users: Unlimited
- Support & Community: Buffer offers various support options, including a self-service knowledge base, social media support, and email support.
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Key features missing in Buffer pricing
Although Buffer is packed with features, there are a few limitations to keep in mind.
- Need to supplement with other tools: Buffer lacks some essential features like viewing incoming mentions, responding to comments and messages, and engaging with others’ posts. The removal of the Buffer Reply feature has left users seeking additional tools for viewing the feed and for social listening, which can add to the overall cost of social media management.
- Additional costs: Using supplementary tools to compensate for Buffer’s limitations can result in added expenses, making the overall social media management process more costly.
- Basic Instagram and Pinterest features: Although Buffer has introduced some scheduling features for Instagram and Pinterest, they are relatively basic. For advanced scheduling and more comprehensive features on these platforms, you may need separate tools.
- No Instagram integration: Buffer lacks direct integration with Instagram, making it challenging to manage and schedule posts for this popular social media platform directly from the Buffer platform. You may have to resort to manual posting or rely on additional tools to handle Instagram content.
- Lack of monitoring tools: Buffer does not offer built-in monitoring tools for tracking mentions, searches, and hashtags. As a result, you need to use other external tools or monitor these activities manually through individual social media networks, which can be time-consuming and less efficient.
User Reviews
Positive reviews
“I love Buffer and their freemium model is incredible. Setting up an account with them was easy, and allowed me to try the services for free before purchasing a larger plan for my business.”
“Buffer has been a game-changer for me in terms of managing my social media accounts, and I’ve been using it for years. The platform’s scheduling function has saved my life, and it’s straightforward to use overall.”
“I find Buffer to be an incredibly powerful and easy-to-use tool for managing my social media presence. Its seamless integration of various features, including texting images before sharing them on any network or scheduling posts across multiple channels, makes it a breeze to use.”
Negative reviews
“Very expensive for what they offer. To be able to manage your social channels you need to buy: Publishing + Analytics + Engagement and they sell each of these separately which makes it expensive, especially if you are running a small business like me. Also, I don’t trust the data much. My Instagram data is very different in buffer compared to Instagram insight.”
Verified User in Apparel & Fashion
“If you’re using this platform from an agency perspective, meaning you have multiple clients and multiple internal and external stakeholders, this platform falls short. It lacks in critical areas including: not supporting multiple users, not having an option for client access, and not providing a useful view for routing or reviewing materials.”
“An upgraded account is expensive and is more limited than its competitors. It doesn’t offer the same degree of analytics as other social media tools. It’s also limited to only 10 accounts. The bulk uploader is a great tool on other social media tools but isn’t available on this one. You can only upload one photo to an Instagram post, but Instagram allows multiple photo uploads.”
Verified User in Marketing and Advertising
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Conclusion
In summary, we explored the diverse Buffer pricing plans that offer robust features, and positive user reviews, making it a top choice for effective social media management.
Its user-friendly interface, automation with AI Assistant, and seamless team collaboration have earned it widespread acclaim among businesses and individuals alike. However, it’s important to consider its limitations before you make your decision.
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